epiboxidine and epibatidine

The syntheses of (+/-)-epibatidine and (+/-)-epiboxidine have been accomplished from commercial 2-methoxy-3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran. A recently developed aza-Prins-pinacol rearrangement was employed for the construction of the key 7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane skeleton of these targets.

Topics: Aza Compounds; Azabicyclo Compounds; Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; Heptanes; Isoxazoles; Molecular Structure; Oligopeptides; Pyridines; Stereoisomerism

Homoepiboxidine (3) and the corresponding N-methyl (4) and N-benzyl (5) derivatives were prepared from a 6beta-carbomethoxynortropane (8). Affinities and functional activities at neuromuscular, central neuronal and ganglionic-type nicotinic receptors were compared to those of epibatidine 1, and epiboxidine 2. Homoepiboxidine had equivalent affinity/activity to epiboxidine at neuromuscular, neuronal alpha4beta2, and most alpha3-containing ganglionic-type nicotinic receptors. The N-substituted derivatives showed reduced affinity/activity at most receptor subtypes. Replacement of the methylisoxazole moiety of 3 and 4 with a methyloxadiazole moiety provided analogues 6 and 7, which had greatly reduced affinity/activity in virtually all assays at nicotinic receptors. Marked analgetic activity in mice occurred at the following ip doses: epibatidine 10 microg/kg; epiboxidine 25 microg/kg; homoepiboxidine 100 microg/kg; N-methylhomoepiboxidine 100 microg/kg; the methyloxadiazole (6) 100 microg/kg. The time course at such ip doses was significantly longer for homoepiboxidine 3 with marked analgesia still manifest at 30 min post-injection. Epiboxidine and the homoepiboxidines were less toxic than epibatidine.

Topics: Analgesics; Animals; Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; Cell Line; Cell Line, Tumor; Humans; Isoxazoles; Male; Mice; Nicotinic Agonists; PC12 Cells; Protein Binding; Pyridines; Rats; Receptors, Nicotinic